P Johnny Townsend: commit No. 30 | OL/TE Trevon Young: commit No. 29 | JUCO DT Jarran Reed: commit No. 28 | DT Jay-nard Bostwick: commit No. 27 | Muschamp discusses class; assistants evaluate signees | Video interviews with coaches | “Closing”, quarterback situation

Courtesy of the University of Florida‘s University Athletic Association:

EARLY ENROLLEES (8)

Alex Anzalone • Linebacker
6’3″ • 220 • Wyomissing, PA (Wyomissing Area)
PRIOR TO FLORIDA: Helped Wyomissing High to its first Class AA state championship in 2012, finishing 16-0, a school single-season record for wins…Selected to the 2013 Under Armour All-American Game…Finished his senior year with over 1,000 rushing yards and 30 touchdowns from the fullback position and registered more than 100 tackles…Earned a spot on the 247Sports Class of 2013 All-America team…Named senior Class AA Player of the Year as part of the 2012 Pennsylvania Sports Writers All-State Team…As a junior, was named first team all-state, all-region and all-county…In 2011, ran for over 900 yards and scored 13 touchdowns and was named to the all-state team…Invited to “The Opening”, an all-star summer prospect camp held on the Nike Campus…Chose Florida over Notre Dame, Ohio State, Penn State, USC, UCLA, Miami, Tennessee, Pitt, Stanford, Georgia and Florida State…Coached by Bob Wolfrum.

Darious Cummings • Defensive tackle
6’1″ • 310 • Titusville, FL (Astronaut/Florida St./East Mississippi CC)
PRIOR TO FLORIDA: Played in all 10 games during the 2012 season at EMCC, tallying 26 tackles (12 unassisted) with 4.0 TFL (12 yards), 3.0 sacks, two quarterback hurries and one forced fumble…EMCC finished 8-2 on the year and ranked 15th in the final NJCAA poll…Anchored a defense that allowed just 74.2 rushing yards per game…Notched a season-high four tackles twice during the season, against Pearl River CC and Itawamba CC…Played under head coach Buddy Stephens at EMCC…Spent two years at Florida State before transferring to EMCC…Played in three games as a true freshman and two games as a sophomore before suffering an injury that caused him to miss most of the 2011 season…Totaled seven tackles in five career games at FSU…Missed the spring of 2012 at FSU after arthroscopic knee surgery and then transferred to EMCC in the summer of 2012…Entered his senior year of high school with 159 tackles, including 22 for loss and 15 sacks…Was the first commit in FSU’s 2010 signing class…Was a Florida Super 75 selection by the Times-Union…Named to SunStateFootball.com all-state first team in 2009…Attended the same high school as former Gator football players LB Wilber Marshall, WR Cris Collinsworth and TE Aaron Walker…Chose Florida over offers from Ole Miss, Texas A&M, Mississippi State and Arkansas.

Continue Reading » Florida Gators 2013 National Signing Day bios

Tags: Adam Lane, Ahmad Fulwood, Alex Anzalone, Alvin Bailey, Antonio Riles, Caleb Brantley, Cameron Dillard, Chris Thompson, Daniel McMillian, Darious Cummings, Demarcus Robinson, Jarrad Davis, Jarran Reed, Jay-nard Bostwick, Joey Ivie, Jordan Sherit, Keanu Neal, Kelvin Taylor, Marcell Harris, Marqui Hawkins, Matt Rolin, Max Staver, Nick Washington, Octavius Jackson, Roderick Johnson, Trenton Brown, Tyler Moore, Vernon Hargreaves

Released Tuesday, the fifth and final edition of the Rivals250 for the class of 2013 is filled with players verbally committed to play for the Florida Gators next season. Though seven Florida commits are part of the top 100 players in the group (list released Monday), seven more are ranked among the top 250 recruits in the nation.

Below is a breakdown of where the Gators’ commits are ranked:

2 7 – DB Vernon Hargreaves (Tampa, FL)
28 22 – LB Alex Anzalone^ (Wyomissing, PA)
38 2 – RB Kelvin Taylor (Belle Glade, FL)
52 4 – WR Demarcus Robinson^ (Belle Glade, FL)
63 38 – WR Alvin Bailey (Seffner, FL)
64 17 – DB Keanu Neal (Bushnell, FL)
67 10 – DB Marcell Harris (Orlando, FL)
123 30 – LB Daniel McMillian (Jacksonville, FL)
132 29 – DT Caleb Brantley (Crescent City, FL)
136 19 – WR Ahmad Fulwood (Jacksonville, FL)
164 36 – DB Nick Washington (Jacksonville, FL)
197 2 – LB James Hearns (Tallahassee, FL)
198 3 – DE Joey Ivie (Dade City, FL)
224 6 – DE Jordan Sherit (Tampa, FL)

^ New commitment since last update.

Notes:

» Florida has received a commitment from a top-five player in three of the last four recruiting cycles. The Gators have also picked up the No. 2-ranked prospect in each of the last two years (offensive tackle D.J. Humphries, 2012).
» Anzalone added a fifth star and is Florida’s second five-star pledge.
» 10 of 14 players dropped an average of 14 spots in the rankings.

Expand: Full list of Florida's 2013 commitments as of Jan. 22, 2013:

Commitment	Pos.	Rivals	ESPN	Overall
V. Hargreaves	DB			2/3
Alex Anzalone*	LB			28/97
Kelvin Taylor*	RB			38/8
D. Robinson*	WR			52/53
Alvin Bailey	WR			63/77
Keanu Neal	DB			64/65
Marcell Harris	DB			67/68
Daniel McMillian*	LB			123/33
Caleb Brantley	DT			132/42
Ahmad Fulwood	WR			136/110
N. Washington	DB			164/154
Joey Ivie*	DE			198/-
Jordan Sherit	DE			224/-
Matt Rolin*	LB			-/80
Jay. Bostwick	DT			-/286
Adam Lane	RB			-/175
Marqui Hawkins	WR			-/199
Max Staver	QB			-/263
Cam Dillard	OL			-/-
Antonio Riles	DE			-/-
Rod Johnson	OL			-/-
Ch. Thompson	WR			-/-
Oct. Jackson	DT			-/-
Jarrad Davis	LB			-/-
Trevon Young	TE			-/-
John Townsend	PK			-/-
Dar. Cummings*	DT			JUCO
Jarran Reed	DT			JUCO
Trenton Brown	OL		NR	JUCO
Tyler Moore*	OL			CC

* Early enrollee (spring 2013)

Tags: Ahmad Fulwood, Alex Anzalone, Alvin Bailey, Caleb Brantley, Daniel McMillian, Demarcus Robinson, James Hearns, Joey Ivie, Jordan Sherit, KeanuNeal, Kelvin Taylor, Marcell Harris, Nick Washington, Vernon Hargreaves

1 » Will quarterback Jacoby Brissett be spending his junior season with the Florida Gators? That is one of many unanswered questions lingering in the wake of Florida’s 33-23 loss to Louisville in the 2013 Sugar Bowl on Tuesday. Brissett addressed his future after the game when questioned by the Palm Beach Post. “I haven’t decided yet,” he said. “It depends on how I feel when I get back to Gainesville and have a talk with Coach [Will] Muschamp. You grow relationships for two years with some of these people you’re around every day, and it’s hard to leave them. It depends on how I feel.” With sophomore Jeff Driskel entranced as the Gators’ starter, Brissett would likely be returning in a back-up role. He has yet to use a redshirt season and Driskel is an unlikely candidate to leave as a junior meaning Brissett, should he stay, would run the risk of either never being a full-time starter or doing so for just one year elsewhere if he transferred following the 2013 season. Dwyer High School head coach Jack Daniels said last week that he has suggested that Brissett leave even though he thinks he will stay for at least one more year.

2 » The Post also caught up with Florida sophomore running back Chris Johnson after the game and asked him how he felt about being ejected from the game after he threw a punch following the team’s onside kick attempt to start the second half. “Bad discipline on my part, but you learn from your mistakes and move on,” he said. “It was frustration. The guy was riding me a little bit. If I could do it differently, I’d walk away from it. It sucks. In my mind, I feel like I cost us the Sugar Bowl.” Johnson’s personal foul was one of two on the play, and the Cardinals started at the Gators’ 19-yard line as a result. One play later, Louisville took a 30-10 lead and all but put the game away.

CLICK TO EXPAND and read two more BITS in this post.

Tags: Ahmad Fulwood, Alvin Bailey, Army All-American Bowl, Caleb Brantley, Chris Johnson, Daniel McMillian, Demarcus Robinson, Demarcus Walker, Elijah Daniel, Jacoby Brissett, Jordan Sherit, Keanu Neal, Kelvin Taylor, Marcell Harris, Matt Rolin, Nick Washington, Roderick Johnson, Under Armour All-American Game, Vernon Hargreaves, Will Muschamp

Released Tuesday afternoon, the fourth edition of the Rivals250 for the class of 2013 is filled with players verbally committed to play for the Florida Gators next season. Though five Florida commits are part of the top 100 players in the group (which was released Tuesday), eight more are listed among the top 250 recruits in the nation.

Below is a breakdown of where the Gators’ commits are ranked:

9 2 – DB Vernon Hargreaves (Tampa, FL)
36 11 – RB Kelvin Taylor (Belle Glade, FL)
57 8 – DB Marcell Harris* (Orlando, FL)
81 27 – DB Keanu Neal (Bushnell, FL)
93 11 – LB Daniel McMillian (Jacksonville, FL)
101 8 – WR Alvin Bailey* (Seffner, FL)
103 13 – DT Caleb Brantley (Crescent City, FL)
117 31 – WR Ahmad Fulwood (Jacksonville, FL)
128 10 – DB Nick Washington (Jacksonville, FL)
193 NR – DE Joey Ivie (Dade City, FL)
195 12 – LB James Hearns (Tallahassee, FL)
207 8 – LB Quinton Powell (Daytona Beach, FL)
218 108 – DE Jordan Sherit (Tampa, FL)

* New commitment since last update.

Florida’s 2013 commitments as of Dec. 4, 2012:

Commitment	Pos.	Rivals	ESPN	Overall
V. Hargreaves	DB			2/3
Alex Anzalone*	LB			28/97
Kelvin Taylor*	RB			38/8
D. Robinson*	WR			52/53
Alvin Bailey	WR			63/77
Keanu Neal	DB			64/65
Marcell Harris	DB			67/68
Daniel McMillian*	LB			123/33
Caleb Brantley	DT			132/42
Ahmad Fulwood	WR			136/110
N. Washington	DB			164/154
Joey Ivie*	DE			198/-
Jordan Sherit	DE			224/-
Matt Rolin*	LB			-/80
Jay. Bostwick	DT			-/286
Adam Lane	RB			-/175
Marqui Hawkins	WR			-/199
Max Staver	QB			-/263
Cam Dillard	OL			-/-
Antonio Riles	DE			-/-
Rod Johnson	OL			-/-
Ch. Thompson	WR			-/-
Oct. Jackson	DT			-/-
Jarrad Davis	LB			-/-
Trevon Young	TE			-/-
John Townsend	PK			-/-
Dar. Cummings*	DT			JUCO
Jarran Reed	DT			JUCO
Trenton Brown	OL		NR	JUCO
Tyler Moore*	OL			CC

Tags: Ahmad Fulwood, Alvin Bailey, Caleb Brantley, Daniel McMillian, James Hearns, Joey Ivie, Jordan Sherit, Keanu Neal, Kelvin Taylor, Marcell Harris, Nick Washington, Quinton Powell, Vernon Hargreaves

Released Tuesday afternoon, the third edition of the Rivals250 for the class of 2013 is filled with players verbally committed to play for the Florida Gators next season. Though five Florida commits are part of the top 100 players in the group (which was released Tuesday), five more are listed among the top 250 recruits in the nation.

Below is a breakdown of where the Gators’ commits are ranked:

7 2 – DB Vernon Hargreaves* (Tampa, FL)
47 45 – RB Kelvin Taylor (Belle Glade, FL)
82 16 – LB Daniel McMillian (Jacksonville, FL)
86 17 – WR Ahmad Fulwood (Jacksonville, FL)
90 19 – DT Caleb Brantley (Crescent City, FL)
108 142 – DB Keanu Neal (Bushnell, FL)
110 16 – DE Jordan Sherit* (Tampa, FL)
118 19 – DB Nick Washington (Jacksonville, FL)
183 9 – LB James Hearns (Tallahassee, FL)
199 26 – LB Quinton Powell (Daytona Beach, FL)

* Added to list.

Florida’s 2013 commitments as of August 21, 2012:

Commitment	Pos.	Rivals	ESPN	Overall
V. Hargreaves	DB			2/3
Alex Anzalone*	LB			28/97
Kelvin Taylor*	RB			38/8
D. Robinson*	WR			52/53
Alvin Bailey	WR			63/77
Keanu Neal	DB			64/65
Marcell Harris	DB			67/68
Daniel McMillian*	LB			123/33
Caleb Brantley	DT			132/42
Ahmad Fulwood	WR			136/110
N. Washington	DB			164/154
Joey Ivie*	DE			198/-
Jordan Sherit	DE			224/-
Matt Rolin*	LB			-/80
Jay. Bostwick	DT			-/286
Adam Lane	RB			-/175
Marqui Hawkins	WR			-/199
Max Staver	QB			-/263
Cam Dillard	OL			-/-
Antonio Riles	DE			-/-
Rod Johnson	OL			-/-
Ch. Thompson	WR			-/-
Oct. Jackson	DT			-/-
Jarrad Davis	LB			-/-
Trevon Young	TE			-/-
John Townsend	PK			-/-
Dar. Cummings*	DT			JUCO
Jarran Reed	DT			JUCO
Trenton Brown	OL		NR	JUCO
Tyler Moore*	OL			CC

Tags: Ahmad Fulwood, Caleb Brantley, Daniel McMillian, James Hearns, Jordan Sherit, Keanu Neal, Kelvin Taylor, Nick Washington, Quinton Powell, Vernon Hargreaves

Considering so much has gone on over the last few days in regards to the Florida Gators, the OGGOA Week In Review returns for its third edition. (Yes, it is just covering a four-day period, but let’s just all agree to ignore that.) Be sure to check out all of the posts in case you happened to miss a thing or two.

FOOTBALL RECRUITING / FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS
» The day before Friday Night Lights was set to commence, Florida received a commitment from 2013 defensive back Vernon Hargreaves III (Tampa, FL), who vaulted the program five spots from 10th to 5th in the Rivals team recruiting rankings and immediately became the Gators’ highest-rated player of the cycle.

» Florida doubled up on commitments before FNL even began as three-star defensive end Antonio Riles (Lawrenceville, GA) chose UF over Georgia and committed even though he could not make it to campus for the event.

» There were rumblings all week that the Gators would receive a commitment from another highly-rated defensive prospect, but FNL came and went without him announcing his pledge. Four-star DE Jordan Sherit (Tampa, FL) remained in Gainesville, FL on Saturday, however, and made his verbal commitment public.

» Florida received its fourth commitment in as many days on Sunday when 2014 defensive tackle Travonte Valentine (Palm Bay, FL), expected to be one of the top players at his position when recruiting rankings are released for his class, ended his recruitment early and decided that he wanted to play for the Gators, too.

» More rumblings on Sunday indicated that Florida could go five-for-five in commitments and bring in a talented but underrated offensive playmaker on Monday though it remains to be seen if head coach Will Muschamp will give him a commitable offer and the opportunity to join the Gators.

2012 LONDON OLYMPICS
OGGOA has been offering full coverage of the Olympics all event long on this dedicated page, which includes a Gator Nation vs. The World medal count, daily schedule and direct LIVE streaming links to each event as it takes place. Below are some notes in case you have not visited it yet and want a quick refresher.

» Ryan Lochte (United States) won two medals over the weekend including a gold in the Men’s 400 Meter Individual Medley, the fourth such medal of his Olympic career. Lochte also swam the final leg of the Men’s 4×100 Meter Freestyle Relay but got caught from behind over the final 50 meters; the team finished with a silver. He will compete in the Men’s 200 Meter Freestyle finals on Monday afternoon.

» Junior Elizabeth Beisel (United States) took silver in the Women’s 400 Meter Individual Medley, the first Olympic medal of her young career. She nearly won the gold but was bested over the last 150 meters.

» Thirteen other Gators (as well as one incoming freshman) competed in Olympic action over the four-day span though none of them were able to join Lochte and Beisel in bringing home medals as of yet. Striker Abby Wambach was dominant once again in soccer and got a black eye in her match on Saturday, though she scored a goal in retaliation and mocked her assailant during her celebration.

» “Gator Nation” is currently eighth in the Olympic medal standings with one gold and two silver. You can view the full medal breakdown on OGGOA‘s dedicated Olympics page.

FORMER PLAYERS SPEAK OUT
» Florida quarterback Shane Matthews praised Muschamp and the current Gators coaching staff while noting that he was frustrated with the way former head coach Urban Meyer and his staff developed play callers and recruited in his waning years.

» Chicago Bulls center Joakim Noah said he definitely had more fun at Florida than QB Tim Tebow did and provided an interesting answer when he was asked how much class he attended during his junior season when he was helping the Gators win the second of their back-to-back basketball national championships.

Tags: Abby Wambach, Antonio Riles, Chicago Bulls, Elizabeth Beisel, Friday Night Lights, Joakim Noah, Jordan Sherit, Olympics, Ryan Lochte, Shane Matthews, soccer, swimming, Tim Tebow, Travonte Valentine, Urban Meyer, Vernon Hargreaves, Will Muschamp

Nearly done with their 2013 recruiting class, the Florida Gators received their second 2014 commitment on Sunday when defensive tackle Travonte Valentine (Palm Bay, FL) gave a verbal pledge to head coach Will Muschamp.

Valentine, despite previously being committed to Louisville and more recently having a top three of Alabama, Auburn and Florida according to Rivals’ Chris Nee, decommitted on July 15 and claimed five days later that Florida State was his new leader after spending three days on campus. He quickly changed that stance over the weekend after attending Friday Night Lights in Gainesville, FL.

“ITS OFFICIAL IM A GATOR I FEEL PROUD ABT IT TOOO #CHOMP CHOMP,” Valentine posted on Facebook though he had not yet spoken to Muschamp. Scout.com confirmed minutes later that he got in touch with Muschamp, who accepted his commitment.

Valentine is the second 2014 player to commit to the Gators; wide receiver Ryeshene Bronson (Fort Myers, FL) became the team’s first pledge on June 14. Both are expected to be at least four-star prospects when rankings are released.

He is the fourth high school football player commit to Florida in as many days following in the footsteps of 2013 five-star defensive back Vernon Hargreaves (Tampa, FL) on Thursday, three-star defensive end Antonio Riles (Lawrenceville, GA) on Friday and four-star defensive end Jordan Sherit (Tampa, FL) on Saturday.

Tags: Antonio Riles, Friday Night Lights, Jordan Sherit, Ryeshene Bronson, Travonte Valentine, Vernon Hargreaves, Will Muschamp

Just two days after five-star cornerback Vernon Hargreaves III verbally committed to the Florida Gators his close friend and fellow Tampa, FL native four-star defensive end Jordan Sherit did the same, informing head coach Will Muschamp of his decision the day after he attended Friday Night Lights.

Sherit, a member of the Rivals100 (No. 94) and ESPN 300 (No. 254), is 6’5” and 234 lbs. with impressive speed for a big man. He’s quick off the snap, strong at the point of attack and steadily improving as a pass rusher according to recruiting analysts who have watched him over the last two years.

Sherit chose Florida primarily over Notre Dame, Stanford and Vanderbilt (all schools with solid football and academics) but had a top 11 that also included Clemson, Florida State, Miami, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Oregon and South Florida.

He is the eighth defensive front seven player and 14th Floridian (out of 20 pledges) to commit to the Gators as part of the 2013 recruiting cycle.

Sherit’s commitment was first reported by ESPN.

Tags: Friday Night Lights, Jordan Sherit, Vernon Hargreaves, Will Muschamp